Rest My Chemistry
by Nautical Paramour
Summary: Severus is working on a very lucrative potion. Unfortunately, he has an accident and his cauldron explodes, leaving him suffering the effects. He finds himself not only looking twenty again..but feeling the hormones too! EWE, Severus/Hermione. Please read the author's note at the end! It's important!
1. Chapter 1

Professor Severus Snape was close.

Everything he had worked for for the last nine months was leading up the this point.

He'd been through a lot. Nagini had nearly killed him in the final battle, but luckily he'd been slowly building his tolerance to snake venom throughout the years, and he naturally always carried a bezoar on him because he was a potions master. He was completely taken aback when he entered the partially destroyed Great Hall and got an armful of a crying Hermione Granger. "I thought you were dead." She whispered to him. Soon, though, she was gone and he was being fussed over by Madame Pomfrey.

He didn't have a trial and he was never charged with the murder of Albus Dumbledore. Luckily the manipulative old fool kept thousands of pensieve memories, which cleared Severus's name. In the court of public opinion, though, people were not so forgiving. Harry Potter had been annoyingly close to him...Severus knew he shouldn't have given the boy his memories.

But at the same time, it had been necessary.

It had taken a while to regain Minerva's trust. She was one of the few people that he had truly wanted to rebuild bridges with. She never gave up on him despite his surly attitude as a young professor and she had become somewhat of a mother figure to him. Unfortunately, one of her conditions of future friendship after the war was to reclaim his post at Hogwarts as Potions Master. She has assumed the mantle of Headmistress and insisted that he become the deputy headmaster. He had only accepted because she told him that it would be for only a while, until she could find a suitable replacement.

He didn't know that "finding a suitable replacement" meant taking on an apprentice. He, in his storied career, had never taken an apprentice, mostly just because he didn't like working with other people. He preferred the quiet.

He remembered the groan that overtook him when he discovered that the apprentice had already been chosen for him. Miss Hermione Granger. He could practically hear all of the questions that she would have for him.

When she moved in in early August before school began, he was actually pleasantly surprised by her demeanor. While they didn't share chambers, her rooms were in the dungeon and they had access to his library, office and private potions lab.

He found her much quieter than he expected. She didn't spout facts like she used to before she took her O.W.L.s. He found that she was willing to accept the changes that he suggested and deviate from the recipe. He thought that she would be such a rule-follower, but she told him that she was there to absorb his knowledge. The questions that she did pose were well-thought out and meaningful. Some took him a few days to ponder before coming to an answer.

She also didn't hang annoyingly close. Just because she was his apprentice didn't mean they were required to spend all of their time together. She respected his space and mostly spent her socializing time with Minerva and Neville Longbottom, who had, regrettably taken over the post of Herbology Professor. Neville actually wasn't as bad as he had been, but the boy was still petrified of him. Not the best thing when a Potions Master had to work closely with the Herbologist. He usually sent Hermione to retrieve ingredients.

Occasionally, they would pass the evenings together, sitting in his study, reading. He would sit in the big green arm chair closest to the fire place. She would sit on the comfy couch, still close enough to bask in the warm orange glow of the fire. Eventually she would bring her legs up to rest on the couch. Her robe would ride up showing the expanse of her shapely, stocking-clad calves.

Not that he was looking.

She would worry her lip, fully engrossed in a potions periodical. It was quite pleasant really. And on the rare occasion that she would fall asleep on the couch, he would cover her with a warm blanket and stoke the fire, so she would be warm through the night.

However, with an apprentice to take over for him, Snape had begun to think of some other forms of income. He decided to rest on his strengths and come up with an ingenious potion he could sell to the masses.

Whilst in the service of the Dark Lord, he had developed various attempts at a potion to increase the length of Voldemort's life. Unfortunately, most of the potions seemed to only make one appear younger than their age. He'd been fortunate enough to make one that reversed the aging process permanently.

He was working on making the results temporary and appear more gradually. It wouldn't do to have an eighty year old woman suddenly appear twenty. A pureblood woman would never use a product if she had to admit to using it. The temporary effects would have them coming back for more. It was quite a lucrative business plan. By his estimate, once he completed it, he would never have to work again.

So, for the last nine months he had taken the utmost care in obtain all of his ingredients to perfect the initial potion before he added the component that made the effects temporary, as well as a dampening potion. He'd spent months tracking down the ptolemy, obtaining the honeywater from a special strain of bee found in Africa, pruning his moondew plants every night.

He had been up for the past three days, barely touching the tea and sandwiches that the house elves brought him. He had been taking the wizard equivalent to a very high dose of caffeine to keep himself awake. He knew that he could just set the potion to stir by magic,but he didn't want to waste his last nine months by ruining the brew with magic.

He was so close. All he had left to do was to add in no more than three drops of liquefied haliwinkles.

Then he could tackle adding the dampening component and making the effects temporary.

He held the liquefied haliwinkle in the dropper over the simmering potion. "One." He whispered, watching the bright green drop disappear into the clear liquid. "Two." He let another drop go and watched the clear liquid absorb it. He was so nervous, he could feel the sweat beading on his brow. "Three."

In his nervousness, he trembled while administering the third drop. He watched helpless as a fourth drop followed the third and upon hitting the surface of the liquid, his potion immediately began to violently boil. The cauldron began to shake and before he had the chance to say "NO!" the cauldron exploded, leaving him and the room drenched in the clear liquid.

The force of the blast knocked him down, his head hitting the hard stone ground when he landed. And then everything went black.

* * *

Hermione was strolling down the stairs to the dungeons after dinner. It was always a little bit strange for her to head _down_ the stairs as opposed to up, but she found that she didn't totally hate the dungeons. Her window looked until the Black Lake and she was constantly surprised by how many fish and other creatures she was able to see. Her only complaint was that it was a little bit drafty. Upon noticing she was constantly cold, though, Professor Snape made sure to keep the fires stoked and warm. It was a courtesy that she wasn't expecting.

She was beginning to get worried about Professor Snape. He hadn't been up out of the dungeons for the last three days. If it was anyone else, she would have thought him depressed, but she knew that he was just wrapped up in his potion. He was very secretive about it, as if she would try to steal his idea. That was just preposterous!

Sighing, she decided to check in his lab to see if she could bring him anything. She knew that he hadn't really been eating anything that the elves were bringing him. She pushed open the door after muttering the password. The light was on, but there didn't appear to be a Professor Snape. That was odd.

Hermione took in the whole room. Everything seemed unusually...shiny. And that's when she saw the exploded cauldron. "Oh no!" Quickly she ran over to the work station and saw a young man laying on the floor. He had longish dark hair and was just as pale as Professor Snape. Did he have a nephew or son that she didn't know about?

She kneeled down next to the unconscious man. She noted that he was all over quite sticky, so she knew to be careful that the potion might still have some effect. She scourgified his clothing first, to remove any excess potion that was on his person. She then lifted his head and held it in her hand, feeling the back of it for blood.

Severus began stirring. His head was ringing and he felt a little dizzy. Someone was cradling the back of his head, gently massaging it. He opened his eyes and saw a delightful view of cleavage. He felt a surge of hormones that he hadn't felt since his youth; His cock was stirring and he had to forcefully remind himself not to reach out and caress the breasts that were presented to him. He groaned, not sure if it was out of arousal or pain, but the woman holding him shifted.

He was met with amaretto brown eyes, swimming with concern and confusion.

Hermione was confused, looking over the visage of the man. His large Greek nose was exactly the same as Professor Snape's. She felt him stirring in her arms and gasped when she found herself looking into the deep, dark eyes of none other than her Professor. Thoroughly confused, she asked to confirm. "Professor Snape?" she asked tentatively.

Severus, realizing it was merely his apprentice, heard her question and was immediately filled with annoyance. "Of course it's me you daft girl! Who else would be in my lab, wearing my robes? And here I thought you were just an_ insufferable_ know-it-all." He tried to sit up, but Hermione stopped him. She knew that voice anywhere. It was definitely him.

"Professor, I don't think you should get up yet. You have a nasty bump on your head." She cleared her throat. "And...you don't look like you normally do. I think that I should go get Madame Pomfrey and Headmistress McGonagall."

He read the concern and confusion on her face. That's when he remembered. "My potion! _Blast_! The haliwinkle!" He quickly sat up and felt the dizziness wash over his body. He closed his eyes to stop the spinning. When he could stomach it, he opened his eyes again and looked around frantically. "Is there any left? Help me up!" He demanded of Hermione.

The girl hesitantly pulled his arm around her shoulder and then helped him up to review the scene. When he saw the burst cauldron, he groaned. "Nine months of work down the drain!" He supposed he should just resign himself to a life of disappointment.

He was overcome with another wave of dizziness, and swayed on his feet. Hermione's much smaller frame could barely support him. "Do you think you can walk to your chambers if I help you? I think I should bring Madame Pomfrey to you." She was biting her lip, worried.

Severus nodded, not trusting himself to speak when he was so emotionally upset. He seemed to be feeling each and every emotion much more acutely than usual. That was odd. Hermione helped him shuffle to the door to his personal chambers. He gave the password. She had never been allowed into his chambers before this moment. He groaned again as his body felt a fresh rush of arousal at the thought of Hermione taking him to bed. Where did that come from.

Hermione, thinking his groan was from pain, soothingly told him. "Just a little further, we are almost to your bed."

Once he was safely deposited in his bed, Hermione rushed from the room to get the nurse and the Headmistress. He watched her go and remembered what she said. He didn't look how he normally looked...? What if the potion flare up had disfigured him horribly - beyond recognition even?

He conjured himself a mirror and stared at his visage in a mix of horror and excitement. Staring back at him was himself...at twenty years old!

* * *

A/N: So! Here is the first chapter of Rest My Chemistry. This is what I am doing - I will post the first chapter of this and the first chapter of Wildest Moments (Voldemort/Hermione) and whichever gets the better response in, say, a week is the story that I will write first. Perhaps I would try to update simultaneously, but I typically find that they end up getting confused in my head.

I hope that you don't think that this is too overdone...I would love to read any ideas that you have for the story line - maybe something you've never seen done before and have always wanted to see. In this context of course. I want to try to keep it fresh and original. Oh, by the way, the title comes from an Interpol song.

So, please read one or both and let me know which you'd like me to write first! You can PM me if you'd like. I hope you liked!

Edited 4/27 for spelling errors.


	2. Chapter 2

Severus woke up slowly and stretched. It felt positively delicious, no aches or pains to bother him, just energy. He settled back down, still unwilling to open his eyes. That was when he became acutely aware of the morning erection that was pulsing rather insistently.

It was odd really. It wasn't that he didn't get them anymore, because he did. They just weren't usually this...intense. He could tell that he wouldn't be able to will this one away.

Sighing, he supposed he could indulge. It had been a long time since he'd last given into his own body's sexual needs.

Opening his eyes, he noticed someone curled up in his chair by the fireplace. He couldn't help the smirk that overcame his face when his dark eyes drank in the form of Hermione in the chair, legs tucked under her body, head resting on her hand.

She did look delectable, he had to admit. He had never really looked at her for this length of time. But now he found himself thinking, why shouldn't he look at her. His erection pulsed insistently against his leg again.

He heard someone clear their throat in the corner. His smirk instantly fell as he sat up quickly, turning to look into the twinkling eyes of Minerva McGonagall. "Severus. Good morning." She raised one eyebrow, but didn't break eye contact. Severus felt his cheeks get hot. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this embarrassed. "You gave us all quite a fright last night. You are lucky Hermione decided to check in on you."

His eyes wandered unbidden to Hermione's form. She was about to wake up. "My apologies." He whispered. He was embarrassed enough that he had made a potion explode...that hadn't happened in years.

Hermione sat up then. "Oh, professors!" She said surprised, realizing where she was. "I must've dozed off."

"Well, now that you are both awake, perhaps you could join the staff for breakfast and then report to my office after." McGonagall left no room for arguments. She turned and left the room as silently as she had entered. Severus made a mental note to change his password.

When she left, there was an uncomfortable silence between Hermione and himself. "I'm sorry, I wanted to make sure you didn't end up waking up unsure of where you were." It was Severus's turn to raise an eyebrow at the presumptive Gryffindor.

"Miss Granger. Please return to your rooms." He said tersely. Despite speaking with Minerva, his erection had remained persistent. He would definitely need to take care of that before breakfast.

* * *

Hermione didn't need to be told twice and quickly headed back to her bedroom. She couldn't believe she had fallen asleep watching over Professor Snape, but she didn't want him to wake up alone and confused about what had happened. She knew that would be troubling.

It was odd to see Professor Snape this way. He still looked very much the same, but different at the same time. He was a little bit thinner, his face didn't have the same worried wrinkles, not that the man had many before.

He wasn't classically handsome like that admittedly handsome ferret Draco Malfoy, or even the boyish handsome that Harry had grown into. But there was something interesting about him, that drew your eyes to his.

Hermione glanced at the clock she had in the bathroom and gasped. How had she wasted so much time? Obviously, contemplating Professor Snape. She didn't like using it, but she was forced to use a spell to dry her hair. It made her hair even more wild than usual, full of volume it didn't need.

She rushed out of her room and ran full sprint up the stairs to the great hall. When she opened the door she saw that she was the last Professor to be present and that she was late. Awkwardly walking towards the head table, Hermione tried to push the blush from her cheeks. It's not as if they'd know why she was late.

The teachers resumed their quiet discussion and Hermione proceeded to sit in her usual spot between Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. It seemed that this morning's topic of conversation was Professor Snape's new appearance. Hermione was interested to hear about the potion that produced it. She was a little hurt that he hadn't decided to include her in his research.

She ate quickly, staying mostly silent, thinking over what this little potions accident would mean. Would it wear off before the students returned?

Before she knew it, she was following Headmistress McGonagall and Professor Snape up the spiral staircase to the Headmistress's office. "Well, Severus, I must say, I am surprised with you. I never took your for a vain, stupid man." Hermione noticed that Professor Snape seemed to be red with embarrassment. "And Miss Granger! You should have been looking out for him. You should have told me that he was being so reckless with his health!"

Hermione was aghast. "I can't believe you'd ask me to spy on him! What Professor Snape does...in his personal time is no business of mine." She did notice the appreciative look on her private Professor's face.

"Truly, Severus, why did you do this? I didn't know you had such...drastic ideas about your appearance."

Severus felt affronted with that statement. He knew she didn't mean it the way that she said it, but it still hurt his feelings a bit. "Believe it or not, I wasn't making it for myself."

"Then who?"

"I was trying to formulate a potion that I could sell for income once I leave Hogwarts." Professor Snape huffed. That seemed to silence Minerva. "And for your information, my potion works, I just...got a little shaky and I maybe added one too many drops of liquefied haliwinkle."

"Liquefied haliwinkle? What would you need that for?" Hermione asked knitting her brow. "Surely, you'd want to make the effects last longer."

"Ah, no, it was necessary to add the haliwinkle to make the potion semi-permanent." He responded casually.

"Are you meaning to tell me that you made a permanent deaging potion?" Hermione asked, horrified. Her mind was whirring with all the implications of what he was trying to tell her. She was shocked when she noticed the cheeky smirk he was giving her. He was bloody well pleased with himself. It was strange to see such a look on her professor when he seemed so young. It nearly made her shiver.

"Yes, it's true. During the course of the research I did to bring Lord Voldemort back, I developed this deaging potion, quite accidentally. But for the purposes of the market, I couldn't very well give everyone a permanent solution. Where is the money in that?"

Hermione was glaring at him. "This reeks of blood magic."

Severus cleared his throat. "I may have used one unorthodox ingredient."

"Professor Snape! I can't believe you! What did you put in this potion?"

Her tall, lanky professor seemed to start to realize the mistake he had made. Both the Gryffindor women seemed much more upset with him than he thought they'd be. He whispered out. "Centaur's blood."

Hermione's face became so red. He thought she might try to attack him. "How could you have ever thought that was acceptable? You know what there is a review process? Your potion never would have made it to market!"

"I'm sorry, Voldemort usually didn't care about what or where or how I got my ingredients. Two drops of centaur blood in the grand scheme of enslaving all the muggles is nothing."

Hermione did think that he had a point but she couldn't admit that to him. Instead she chose to try to stare him down, his eyes stemmed bright and intriguing. Why was she suddenly noticing all these things about her Professor?

Severus was also noticing Hermione. Sure he'd noticed that she was a woman. But his body was acting most traitorously seeing her like this. Her hair was wild like it got when she spent an extended time brewing. Her eyes seemed to be molten with the passion she felt for this argument. He couldn't break eye contact although he felt the stirrings of an erection. Merlin he'd forgotten what his body had been like at twenty.

Minerva cleared her throat to bring an end to the silent staring match. "We'll, Severus, how long do you think this potion will be in effect?"

Severus rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, I'm not sure exactly. I imagine that it could be...forever? I mean, I'll just continue aging as normal, just I'll be young again."

"But what will the students think?" Was all Minerva could think about. Term began in only a few short days.

"Really, Minerva? You do remember I started teaching here when I had just turned twenty and I was able to get the hellions to fear me and keep in line." Snape replied, most snarkily. Hermione had never considered it, but it must have been difficult to get students whom he had gone to school with respect him as a teacher.

"Well, yes, yes." Minerva replied, apparently distracted. "Well, Severus, I mean...I think this is a good thing. It will give you a second chance at life. This time you can fully embrace your youth!" She looked up at him, stern eyes peering over the frames of her reading glasses. "I do expect you to be responsible, though - no appearing hung over in front of the students." Hermione watched as his eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "Very well, Severus, you are dismissed. Miss Granger, if you could stay a moment?"

Minerva look expectantly at Severus, until he gave a nod and turned towards the staircase. She didn't begin talking to Hermione until she heard Snape exit the tower. "Miss Granger, if I may, do you think you could...look after him? I worry ever so much."

Hermione felt her blood pressure rise. "If this is your way of asking me to spy on him, I won't do it." She was absolutely adamant. She knew that her Professor valued his privacy, and she wasn't about to infringe upon - upon their new found respect for each other - because Minerva asked her to.

"No, heavens, no. You wouldn't be able to, truthfully." The headmistress told her, in all honesty. "I just mean...well, Severus is a complicated man. He doesn't have many friends his own age, and none your age. Can you imagine how difficult it will be for him?" Hermione hadn't considered that. "What I mean is, do you think you could just show him around, introduce him to people he might get on with. I really do think this is a great opportunity for Severus to experience his youth. The last time...I don't agree with everything Albus put him through."

Hermione agreed. She knew what Snape had gone through was awful. Years of pressure and paranoia for a boy he was guilted into sacrificing his life for. At the same time she imagined introducing Professor Snape to Harry and Ron, this time as a young man. It was laughable...but, still. "Yes, of course, I will look after him." Her heart clenched. "I will make sure, this time, he embraces friends, love."

After the Headmistress dismissed her, she also headed down the spiral staircase to the main hallway and afterwards, down into the dank dungeons. She had been truthful, she would look after Professor Snape and help him make friends, but she would have to be a bit of a Slytherin about it. He couldn't see himself as a charity case or he would never accept her intentions as genuine. Yes, it would take a bit of cunning to get him to go along with it.

* * *

A/N: I AM SO SORRY! I know this took forever to update, but I had a lot of things to straighten out in the last month. I will give an update about the status of this and Wildest Moments tomorrow, I hope, as well as reviewer responses.

Please let me know what you think, if you still like it, etc.

**Update about the status of this and Wildest Moments now in my profile - please check it out!**


	3. Chapter 3

It was early the next morning when she heard the persistent tapping on her door. Surprised, she opened it quickly and allowed a flustered and confused Errol. She ushered him in and allowed him to rest on her desk for a while. Upon seeing her smiling face, the owl dutifully held out his leg and allowed Hermione to take the missive from him.

Unwinding the scroll, Hermione was unsurprised to find a letter written in Ron's messy penmanship. It seemed that the boys would be in Hogsmeade later that day.

Hermione smirked. That would work perfectly.

br

Hermione was sitting in their shared sitting room enjoying a hot cup of tea and a piece of toast when Professor Snape finally decided to enter the land of the living. He was dressed for the day, but he still seemed sleepy, his hair somewhat tousled. Hermione had to stop herself from staring, but he just seemed...carefree - when compared to his usual alert self. "Good morning, Professor." She called quietly.

Severus noticeably jumped, finally seeing the petite witch sitting on the couch with that morning's edition of the Daily Prophet. "Miss Granger...I was expecting that you would already be at breakfast."

Hermione smiled at him. She had caught him unawares and it made him flustered. "I wasn't terribly hungry, so Sunny just brought me some toast." She returned her attention to the paper, but continued to speak to him. "I was actually planning on heading into Hogsmeade this morning to visit the apothecary before the school year started. We are quite low on several ingredients."

Severus felt a warmth spread across his cheeks when she used the word we. Was he blushing? Oh, he'd forgotten how tiresome it was to be a young adult. And why shouldn't she use the word we? They were sharing the ingredient supply anyway. It's not as though she meant anything...well it wasn't as if it were come joint asset as if they were an item. "I...yes, that would be a good plan."

"Alright, well, shall I meet you back here in, say, one hour?"

He watched as she brought her lips to the rim of the cup. Clearing his throat, he responded in the affirmative. He then walked back into his own room. What the hell was he going to wear?

He spent almost all of his time after his shower trying to pick out something to wear. He finally settled on a pair of blue jeans with a white button up shirt and a black blazer. It was infuriating though. He hadn't put this much thought into his clothes in...decades. And why did he even care what Hermione thought of his outfit?

When he came back into the sitting room, he found Hermione, standing there, waiting for him. She was reading through the Popular Potions magazine that had arrived yesterday. She was wearing tight jeans that clung to her arse perfectly. In addition, she was wearing a soft looking, white, cashmere sweater. He bet it was as soft as she was. Suddenly, he remembered that he wasn't wearing a robe, and had to actively try to will down his erection. Wow, he really needed to see some other women if he was reacting this strongly to Hermione.

She turned to look at him, her brown eyes looking him up and down. "Uh, Professor. I think you might need to buy some new clothes." She said biting her lip in nervousness.

Severus blushed instantly. He felt so awkward. Of course he couldn't even do something as simple as dress for a day out in Hogsmeade. Like a wounded animal, he snarled at her. "And just why is that?"

"Well...your clothes seem much too big on you at this point. Did you even try to transfigure them?" She asked.

Severus blushed even redder. He had noticed that his jeans didn't quite stay on his hips. He didn't think he'd gained that much weight in his years after school, but he supposed he did. He suddenly felt the tingling touch of magic being performed on his person.

Hermione was putting her wand away. "There, that should be good for now, but we should probably stop at Madame Malkins as well. Just think of how big your teaching robes will be! Well, shall we go?"

Severus nodded and allowed her to lead the way up out of the dungeon. His frowned when the continued up past the first floor, puzzled when they passed the second floor and was downright irritated when they stopped in front of the statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor. "Where are you taking me, witch?" He asked, clearly annoyed.

Hermione whispered something unintelligible to the statue and it moved slowly to the side to reveal a dusty old passageway. "You Slytherins aren't the only ones who can be sneaky." She replied with a cheeky grin.

Severus pondered a minute before following her. Since the war was over, he wasn't worried as much, and he definitely didn't feel any alarm bells going off in his head. "What is this?"

"It's a secret passageway, to Honeyduke's cellar." Hermione replied flippantly.

"Oh and I suppose this is how Potter snuck out on Hogsmeade weekends?"

Hermione spun around so fast to look at him that he hair flew around her. She looked nervous. "You won't tell anyone, right?"

Severus pondered it for a little bit. What harm could it do? Only she knew about it and it wasn't as if she were a student anymore. "I suppose I could keep your secret. Just so long as you don't tell any students about it."

Hermione broke out in a grin. "Thank you! I promise I won't!" Severus was drawn to her when she smiled. It really highlighted how pretty she was, with freckles dancing across her nose and cheeks. Her eyes lit up. Her smile faltered. "Something on my face?" Her nose crinkled in somewhat embarrassed fashion.

He realized he was staring. "No. Let's keep going."

They continued the trip through the passage in a comfortable silence. It wasn't long, until they made it to the trap door that opened into the cellar of the sweet shop. When they made it to out onto the street, Hermione turned to face him. "So, Professor, where to first? The Apothecary, Madame Malkins, or Tomes and Scrolls?"

Severus was momentarily panicked. He hadn't planned on doing his clothing shopping _with_ Hermione. Although he supposed that he would like a woman's opinion. It was no good spending money on something that didn't look good. When did he begin thinking of her as Hermione? "We should probably save the apothecary for last. There could be some ingredients that need to remain cold. Madame Malkins?"

Hermione nodded. "Good point, lead the way."

They made their way to the shop and as soon as Madame Malkin set eyes on Severus she turned chalk white and put a hand over her heart. "Merlin's Beard! It's like seeing a ghost! Are you related to Professor Snape?" She asked, once she had regained her composure.

"No, Madam, I am afraid that I am Professor Snape." He replied, without any malice or snark that Hermione had expected. "Potions accident." He said sheepishly to the older, plump woman.

"Well, I must say Severus, you could have had a worse accident. Imagine if you'd ended up horribly disfigured." Hermione found herself agreeing. It wasn't that Professor Snape wasn't attractive before, it was just that...seeing him as a young man gave her a new appreciation of him. "What can I help you with?"

"My clothes are a bit too big now." He reversed the transfiguration on his clothing and Madame Malkin clucked in agreement. She ushered him away behind the curtain, leaving Hermione to look around the shop until he was finished.

It wasn't too long until he came back out to the main area, with a bag stuffed to the brim with new clothes. He was blushing when he came out. "Don't ask. So, Tomes and Scrolls next?"

Hermione nodded and followed him out of the shop. "Madam Malkin seemed pretty friendly with you?"

"Well, that's what happens when you have been getting fitted for you robes by someone since you were eleven. She is a little bit of a meddler. I wouldn't be surprised if she and Dumbledore shared a common ancestor."

Hermione giggled. "Meddling with what? I guess they do both have blue eyes."

Before he could respond, the pair was greeted by the two people Severus would never want to see. "Hermione!"

"Ron! Harry! What are you two doing here?" She asked, excited and surprised.

"Didn't you get my owl? We invited you to lunch at the Three Broomsticks." Ron explained casually.

"No, I didn't get it." Hermione seemed to ponder for a minute. "Ron, did you send it with Errol?" She asked in a scolding tone. When the red headed nodded, guilty, Hermione lectured him. "Ronald, you know Errol is too old for such long flights! He is probably hiding up in the owlrey now, just trying to catch a break."

"Well, you are here anyway, so...do you and your new...friend, want to join us for lunch?" Harry asked, intrigued by the man that was standing with Hermione.

"Professor would you care to join us for lunch?" Hermione asked tentatively.

Severus fought to hold back a grimace. "Perhaps not, Miss Granger. I will just head over to the apothecary and then head back to Hogwarts." He replied. He had been enjoying his time with the Gryffindor witch.

Hermione frowned, her mouth making an adorable little pout, though he doubted that it was intentional. "But, please Professor? I wanted to see your method for picking out Haliwinkles. Your specimens were so lovely. And I hate walking up to the castle by myself."

Severus caved. "Oh fine, alright!"

Hermione turned back to her friends. "Boys you remember our potions master, Professor Snape?"

Harry's smile confirmed that he had an inkling of who it was the whole time, whereas Ron's dumbfounded face brought laughter to her lips. It was almost worth it too. "Sir!" Harry addressed him while shaking his hand. The boy had become an annoying nuisance ever since he had seen Severus's memories. Although it was nice to be respected, he could do without the...admiration?

So, while he never expected it, he found himself seated next to Miss Hermione Granger in a booth and looking across from him was Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. Weasley's face was so red, obviously trying to hold in a question. Eventually, he just blurted it out. "What happened to your face?"

Severus scoffed at his lack of tact. "Potions accident." He spit out gruffly. Admitting failure to these imbeciles was uncomfortable to say the least.

"Is it like that forever?"

"I imagine so, yes. My cauldron exploded before I could add the component that would make the effects temporary." He replied.

"You created a permanent deaging potions?" The scarred wizard asked, incredulously.

"Yes, now could you not shout it, so that everyone in Hogsmeade hears you?" He snapped.

Everyone at the table was uncomfortable, until Hermione spoke. "Professor Snape has some really original ideas and the guts to try them out. I know that with just a few more iterations, he will have a very successful potion. I am glad that I have a Potions Master that will be able to pass on some really cutting edge techniques."

Severus felt his face become hot, hearing the words of her praise and just prayed to Merlin that he wasn't actually blushing.

After that, conversation seemed to flow much smoother. Severus didn't really contribute a lot, but it was nice to just be a part of such a lively group. When their food was cleared away, Hermione stood to hug the boys and he thought about what it might be like to hug her. To have her breasts pressed against his chest, and to smell her hair. Snapping out of his musings, he saw that Harry had again extended his hand to shake his own. Severus accepted. Weasley made no attempt, to which Severus decided, he was certainly not disappointed.

Hermione then lead them to the apothecary where they purchased ingredients to last them a while. When they were on their way back to Honeyduke's, Hermione referenced the lunch. "Thanks for having lunch. I owe you one." It was nice to do something for someone else, Severus decided. At the sweet shop, Hermione bought some chocolates. It wasn't until a bag of the fudge was placed in his hand that he noticed what she had gotten and that it was for him.

"Oh, Honeyduke's fudge. That's my -"

"Your favorite? I know."


	4. Chapter 4

When Hermione and Severus had returned to their chambers after spending the day in Hogsmeade, Severus immediately hid away in his own room. Hermione stared after him, but still patted herself on the back for being so Slytherin that she out-Slytherined even Severus Snape himself. She had noticed that he actually enjoyed spending time with Ron, Harry and herself, even though he tried not to. Perhaps she would get him to spend some time with Neville and her later.

It was great to see such a reserved man open up around her. She was so happy when she had finally seen him alive after the battle. He had worked so hard, sacrificed so much, through his whole life. He didn't deserve to die in such a way. And now he had a chance to start fresh, live his twenties and thirties how anybody else did. Have fun, find a wife...

Hermione didn't know why the thought of Severus getting married felt like a vise grip on her chest. He deserved to be happy, to be loved.

Not wanting to think on it too much longer, Hermione resolved to take a nap before dinner.

br

Severus paced his room back and forth, angry with himself. He couldn't believe himself, he'd actually enjoyed spending time with Potter and Weasley and Granger. Well, of course he liked spending time with Granger, he always had.

When that thought flashed through his head, he wanted to vehemently deny it. She had been an intruder of his space and methods and he found her annoying! But he had grown to enjoy her companionship and intellectual conversation as the weeks went on. So yes, he enjoyed spending time with her, he allowed himself to concede.

But still, that didn't mean that he should have enjoyed the other two numbskulls! Especially Potter, with his green eyes. Lily's eyes.

Ever since he had lost Lily's friendship, he hadn't allowed himself to befriend another person. Sure he'd made acquaintances, but no one knew the true Severus Snape. He didn't deserve it, not after what he'd done, not after the horrible things he'd said.

But why didn't he deserve it now? He'd sacrificed so much and he'd been given a second chance. A second chance to live his life as he wanted, not as how his masters mandated. He deserved to allow himself friends, friendship, love...?

He allowed the bushy haired girl's visage to creep into his mind again. He supposed her hair wasn't too bushy anymore. Her eyes were quite nice to look at - you could always see the passion that she had in them. Her lips were pink and plump, probably very nice to kiss. Severus blushed as he felt himself responding to such thoughts.

Well, why shouldn't he friends, or maybe more, with Hermione? She was loyal, kind, intelligent, forgiving, willing to put up with his moods, attractive...

Before he would allow his brain to head down that path again, he resolved to actively pursue a friendship with her. And with that he left for dinner.

* * *

When he arrived at dinner, he was met with a very Slytherin smirk on Minerva's face. He moved to sit between the older woman and his apprentice, who was engrossed in a discussion with Neville Longbottom. "Why do you look like the cat who ate the canary?"

"Oh, Miss Granger was just telling me about the wonderful time the two of you had in Hogsmeade Village." Minerva's teeth were revealed as her smile widened. "With Mister Potter and Mister Weasley."

Severus could practically feel his scowl deepening. He was quite put out with Hermione. He thought she was a girl who appreciated and respected his desire to keep certain aspects of his personal life private. He was just about to tell her that, but was distracted by a flutter of feathers as the owls brought the evening post.

A package was unceremoniously dropped into Hermione's soup, splashing Severus's immaculate black robes. It only made him more upset with her, even though, on a basic level, he knew that this wasn't her fault.

She pulled the package from her dinner and quickly scourgified the dripping liquid from the brown paper that surrounded it. She removed the envelope, her brow furrowed and lips pursed, showing her curiosity. Clearly, she wasn't expecting anything. Her lips slowly turned up at the corners into a grin. "From a secret admirer." She said aloud.

Severus felt his stomach lurch. He was suddenly overcome with jealousy that someone else had recognized the brilliance of Hermione Granger and was willing to act on it, sending her gifts. Why didn't he think of that. He was also worried for her, so when she moved to open the packaging, he snatched it out of her hands.

"Hey, what was that for?" She asked, upset with him.

"Didn't Moody teach you anything, Miss Granger?" He asked, glad he had saved her from potential agony. "Constant vigilance. You didn't even perform one diagnosis spell on package with uncertain origins."

"Uncertain origins?" She asked haughtily. She grabbed the package back and began performing a battery of spells to make sure it was safe. "It's from a secret admirer, I doubt they would try to harm me. Besides, the war is over."

Her self confidence hurt him, and, unwilling to face up to his own feelings and jealousy, he lashed out at her. "Who wouldn't want to be your secret admirer anyway?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, her voice jumping up in decibels and grabbing the attention of the other staff.

"I mean it's not as if you have a line of gentlemen suitors waiting for your affections." He replied matter-of-factly.

"I've had boyfriends! Ron, Viktor Krum - _international Quidditch star_ - seemed to like me quite a bit as well!" She replied.

"Krum was put up to it by Karkarov. Get close to Potter's best friend to see what he's up to, keep tabs on the chosen one." Severus knew the mistake he'd made as soon as it had left his mouth. He watched as Hermione's mouth snapped shut, whatever she was going to say had evaporated. He saw the tears rimming her eyes, but she kept a brave face, setting her jaw in place as she stood up from the table.

The rest of the staff was silent, clearly realizing what an utter fuck up he'd made of the situation. She turned to face him when she reached the staff door. "You know what Severus, I am starting to understand why you've been a sad, lonely man for the last twenty years. And to think I felt bad for you."

He also stood up from the table, wanting to go after her. "Hermione.." He watched the door shut behind her. He was about to leave the table as well, but Minerva pulled on his sleeve.

"No Severus, she needs some time alone right now."

He didn't fight with her and instead sat back down at the table. He could feel everyone glaring at him, most of all Neville Longbottom. It seemed that the courage he had found in other aspects of his life had finally been applied to grumpy old potions masters as well. He felt horrid, with a lump in his throat, through the remainder of dinner. He couldn't eat, instead pushing his food around his plate. Hermione was right. He was a horrid person who didn't have any friends because he pushed his own friends away. Just like Lily.

Dinner was finally over and Severus picked up the package from the secret admirer. He could tell that it was a book and he was very curious as to which one it was. Did this secret admirer known Hermione as well as he did? He decided to wait for her in their shared library. He would apologize when she returned.

He busied himself with his teaching plans. The students would get there tomorrow and he wanted things in order. Time seemed to drag on and on, but before he knew it, it was 1:30 in the morning. He was worried. Where could Hermione be?

* * *

Hermione had gone to the Room of Requirement for a while to have a cry. The room transformed into a comfortable place and it was nice to just be able to cry without having anyone interrupt. She couldn't believe that Severus had said that to her. Was she really so undesirable that even Snape didn't think anyone would want her? She knew that she didn't have the buxom body of Daphne Greengrass or Lavender Brown. And she didn't have the manageable, beautiful hair of Ginny Weasley. And she didn't have the waif-like figure of Luna Lovegood.

After she had agonized over her personal appearance and her personality, she quickly penned a letter to Viktor. They were still in touch, after all, after all these years. She knew he would tell her truly if what Severus had said was true, but it hurt for her to have to ask. Hermione left the comfort of the Room of Requirement for the owlery, luckily as there were no students yet, there was no one on their rounds. It was quite late, but she still didn't want to see anyone. After she had sent her letter, Hermione still wasn't willing to go back to her rooms, as she knew it was likely that she would see Severus. Instead, she decided to go pay a visit to Neville.

When she knocked on his door - he was now the head of Gryffindor and as such lived near Gryffindor, as far away from Slytherin as possible - she didn't have to wait long for her friend to open it. He seemed surprised to see her, but his face was empathetic, seeing the tear-tracks on her cheeks and the red puffiness of her eyes. "Hermione, please come in."

"Thanks Neville. Do you mind if I stay here tonight? I don't want to see Severus just yet." She asked.

"Of course, of course." Neville replied. "I wouldn't want to see him either. He is a right foul git." He ushered her over to the couch and ordered some tea.

"Am I really that bad?" She asked him once the tea arrived. "That even Snape can't imagine someone wanting to be with me?"

"Hermione! Of course not! You are the brightest witch of our age." He said smiling. "I asked you to Yule Ball, didn't I? And, I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but Seamus had the biggest crush on you during sixth year."

Hermione giggled at that, remembering the Irish man from her house. He was pretty cute. Absolutely shite at charms though. "I just can't believe it. Here I thought I was being so nice to Severus. That I was going to show him what real friendship was so he would be happier this time around. And look what I get for it - he pushes me away. He deserves to be bitter and alone."

Neville frowned at that. "Hermione, if you want to show him what real friendship is, then you have to forgive him. If he asks for it, that is. He has to apologize first."

Hermione smiled. "Neville when did you become so wise?" Neville of course was absolutely right and she was embarrassed that she didn't think of it. Forgiveness is exactly what Lily Evans didn't give Severus and what caused him to remain in solitude.

"Oh, I wouldn't say I'm wise. I just have great friends." Neville responded, smiling. "Now, do you want to help me transfigure this couch into a bed? It's a busy day tomorrow. The students will be back."

Hermione could feel herself groaning. She wasn't even a Professor, but she knew just how taxing it would be. Settling into her transfigured bed, she closed her eyes for a night of restful sleep before having to face the dragon that was Severus Snape on the morrow.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for reading and patiently waiting for chapters. I don't know how many chapters this will be, but I see it being a shorter story, probably the size of Aberdeen, if you've read it.

Please let me know what you think of chapter four! And be on the lookout for chapter five...soon, I hope! Thanks!


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